1. Technical Field
The invention pertains to a pant-shaped garment in the form of a pant diaper, a sanitary panty or an underpant comprising an outer panty having a length direction and a transverse direction and which exhibits a rear portion intended to be arranged over the buttocks of a user during use, a front portion intended to be arranged over the belly of a user during use, and a crotch portion intended to be arranged in the user's crotch during use. The pant-shaped garment further comprises a waist opening with a waist edge extending in the transverse direction and two leg openings each being bordered by a leg edge having a front part of the leg edge being located generally on the front portion and a rear part of the leg edge being located generally on the rear portion and on the crotch portion. The rear portion and the front portion are mutually connected in two side joins which run in the length direction from the waist opening to each leg opening.
2. Background Art
It has become increasingly more common to manufacture incontinence protectors in the form of pant diapers. Such pant diapers consist of an outer panty having an integral absorbent inner part. Alternatively, an outer panty can be used together with a separate incontinence shield which is temporarily attached inside the outer panty and which, thus, can be changed for a new incontinence shield while retaining the same outer panty. Both kinds of incontinence protectors are manufactured for infants as well as for incontinent adult persons. Sanitary panties are provided for use in connection with menstruation. Such sanitary panties are available with or without an integrated absorbent portion.
The pants concerned here are of the disposable kind, implying that the pant is intended to be discarded after use and not washed or otherwise restored for use. This means that the materials and production methods available are those which are cost-efficient and which do not result in exceedingly high-priced articles.
Particularly when the panty is intended for use by adult users, it is important that the panty as much as possible imitates a conventional textile underpant. Accordingly, the panty should be flexible, discreet and conformable and give a “textile” and tailored impression.
However, a special requirement for pant diapers and underpants intended for use in connection with incontinence and menstruation is that they must have a good fit and conform tightly to the waist and thighs of the user to prevent leakage of body fluids. In order to achieve such sealing, pant diapers, sanitary panties and underpants are provided with elastic elements in the form of bands or threads that are arranged around the waist opening and around the leg openings. However, there exists a risk of chafing and unpleasant pressure from tightly fitting elastic elements and wrinkled leg edges. In order to avoid the formation of gaps between the elastic elements and the body of the user and to prevent the leg edges from sliding up over the buttocks of the user, the elastic elements are often arranged with more pre-stretching than would have been necessary if the panty had a better fit.
Consequently, there still remains a need for a well-fitting and comfortable article in the form of a pant diaper, a sanitary panty or an underpant that affords good protection against leakage of body fluids at the leg openings.